What I'm reading ...

I have started Gates: How Microsoft's Mogul Reinvented an Industry and Made Himself the Richest Man in America by Stephen Manes and Paul Andrews. I have been sitting on this for a while and it was time for some down to earth non-fiction. Here’s the blurb:

Bill Gates is an American icon, the ultimate revenge of the nerd. The youngest self-made billionaire in history was for many years the most powerful person in the computer industry. His tantrums, his odd rocking tic, and his lavish philanthropy have become the stuff of legend. Gates is the one book that truly illuminates the early years of the man and his company.
In high school he organized computer enterprises for profit. At Harvard he co-wrote Microsoft BASIC, the first commercial personal computer software, then dropped out and made it a global standard. At 25, he offered IBM a program he did not yet own--a program called DOS that would become the essential operating system for more than 100 million personal computers and the foundation of the Gates empire. As Microsoft's dominance extended around the globe, Bill Gates became idolized, hated, and feared.
In this riveting independent biography, veteran computer journalists Stephen Manes and Paul Andrews draw on a dozen sessions with Gates himself and nearly a thousand hours of interviews with his friends, family, employees, and competitors to debunk the myths and paint the definitive picture of the real Bill Gates, "bugs" and all. Here is the shy but fearless competitor with the guts and brass to try anything once--on a computer, at a negotiation, or on water skis. Here is the cocky 23-year-old who calmly spurned an enormous buyout offer from Ross Perot. Here is the supersalesman who motivated his Smart Guys, fought bitter battles with giant IBM, and locked horns with Apple's Steve Jobs--and usually won. Here, too, is the workaholic pessimist who presided over Microsoft's meteoric rise while most other personal computer pioneers fell by the wayside. Gates extended his vision of software to art, entertainment, education, and even biotechnology, and made good on much of his promise to put his software "on every desk and in every home."
Gates is a bracing, comprehensive portrait of the microcomputer industry, one of its leading companies, and the man who helped create a world where software is everything.

The Secret Commonwealth - by Philip Pullman

This is a long, complex book, but I am happy to say that I never got lost and I was motivated to keep turning the pages right up to the end. Overall the quality of writing is what I’d expect from this author. My challenge was remembering much of what happened in His Dark Materials and in La Belle Sauvage, but this did not cause me any great difficulty.

I had one disappointment and this will almost be a spoiler. Towards the end of the book, the tension is building and it seems hard to imagine how the particular situation will resolve itself in the last few pages. This is because it doesn’t. The book ends with those awful 3 words: To be continued … And I have no idea when the next book is due to come out.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman. I read the first book of the Dust trilogy a while ago and was looking forward to this, the second volume. It is so long since I read the His Dark Materials books that I wonder if I will follow this book, as it takes place in a later time frame [whereas La Belle Sauvage took place before]. I think it likely that the author will have accommodated the “new reader”. Here’s the blurb:

The second volume of Philip Pullman's The Book of Dust sees Lyra, now twenty years old, and her daemon Pantalaimon, forced to navigate their relationship in a way they could never have imagined, and drawn into the complex and dangerous factions of a world that they had no idea existed.
Pulled along on his own journey too is Malcolm; once a boy with a boat and a mission to save a baby from the flood, now a man with a strong sense of duty and a desire to do what is right.
Theirs is a world at once familiar and extraordinary, and they must travel far beyond the edges of Oxford, across Europe and into Asia, in search for what is lost - a city haunted by daemons, a secret at the heart of a desert, and the mystery of the elusive Dust.

Utopia for Realists: And How We Can Get There - by Rutger Bregman

I found this book to be a remarkably easy read, as, for a non-fiction book of its type, it has great pace. The language used is very accessible, which I think is a lot to do with the translation [from the original Dutch]. I quickly realized that the author and I were of a like mind on many things. He supports a number of somewhat radical ideas that I, too, espouse. The difference between us is that he has hard evidence to back up his views.

Overall, I think it is an amazing book, which is broadly optimistic, as it shows a way forward for our society that looks very attractive [to me] and it is, at least theoretically, attainable. The book is very up to date - there are references to Trump and Boris - but I think the ideas will last well. It was easily the most understandable and influential political book that I have ever read. I cannot say that it is life changing [for me], as I am unsure that I can do anything individually to move matters forward. However, I will look at who I vote for and what I march for with a new eye.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Utopia for Realists: And How We Can Get There by Rutger Bregman. It was time for some non-fiction and this was recommended strongly by a trusted friend. Here’s the blurb:

In Utopia for Realists, Rutger Bregman shows that we can construct a society with visionary ideas that are, in fact, wholly implementable. Every milestone of civilisation – from the end of slavery to the beginning of democracy – was once considered a utopian fantasy. New utopian ideas such as universal basic income and a fifteen-hour work week can become reality in our lifetime.
From a Canadian city that once completely eradicated poverty, to Richard Nixon's near implementation of a basic income for millions of Americans, Bregman takes us on a journey through history, beyond the traditional left-right divides, as he introduces ideas whose time has come.

Transcription - by Kate Atkinson

Although this was different from earlier books by this author, I still really enjoyed reading it. It is complex, with a couple of timelines, but I never found myself lost or confused. There were just enough twists and turns in the story, a good pace and it had a fairly clear ending.

If I have one disappointment, it is that I like to feel that I have learned something from reading a book, even a novel. In this case, I may have learned something about MI5 during and after WW2. However, there were a few very minor factual errors that shake my confidence. For example, it was suggested that people with any German connections in the UK were given a hard time, including those who owned German Shepherd dogs. This sounds reasonable, except that the widespread use of this name for the breed did not come until the 1970s. The author does, to give her credit, say that this is a work of fiction, so the odd fact may be astray. But I do feel this is a little lazy.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Transcription by Kate Atkinson. I have been a fan of this author for many years. I was very tempted to get this book when it was first published last year, but I waited until the paperback publication drove the Kindle price down. Here’s the blurb:

In 1940, eighteen-year old Juliet Armstrong is reluctantly recruited into the world of espionage. Sent to an obscure department of MI5 tasked with monitoring the comings and goings of British Fascist sympathizers, she discovers the work to be by turns both tedious and terrifying. But after the war has ended, she presumes the events of those years have been relegated to the past for ever.
Ten years later, now a producer at the BBC, Juliet is unexpectedly confronted by figures from her past. A different war is being fought now, on a different battleground, but Juliet finds herself once more under threat. A bill of reckoning is due, and she finally begins to realize that there is no action without consequence.

The Body: A Guide for Occupants - by Bill Bryson

My high hopes were not misplaced. I found this book a joy to read. It is well organized and written in Bryson’s very relaxed style, with a bit of humour here and there. There are lots of surprising facts and busting of myths and the list of references, supporting the text, is extensive. As I love learning random, useless facts, this book is a goldmine. I would recommend the book to anyone with an enquiring mind.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson. Bryson has been a favourite author of mine for about 30 years and I have had the pleasure of meeting him a couple of times. I long since got into the habit of buying his books as soon as they were published. So, as soon as I heard about this one, a “pre-order” was in place. His last book of this ilk was very enjoyable [and incredibly successful], so I have high hopes. Here’s the blurb:

Bill Bryson sets off to explore the human body, how it functions and its remarkable ability to heal itself. Full of extraordinary facts and astonishing stories The Body: A Guide for Occupants is a brilliant, often very funny attempt to understand the miracle of our physical and neurological make up.
A wonderful successor to A Short History of Nearly Everything, this new book is an instant classic. It will have you marvelling at the form you occupy, and celebrating the genius of your existence, time and time again.

Machines Like Me - by Ian McEwan

Last time I read a book by this author, the first few pages grabbed me and I was off to a flying start. Sadly, the rest of the book was a bit of a disappointment. This book, too, started off well and I feared a repeat of my previous experience. However, my fears were unfounded. The book kept me turning the pages, having pulled me in. I read it in a very short time [for me] - a long airplane ride helped.
I am unsure whether this is a human story with the robot angle as a backdrop, or vice versa. It doesn’t matter as the two threads interleave very well. I find the “alternate history” approach interesting. In this case, the time period is one that I clearly understand, as I lived through it as a young adult. The author weaved in some contemporary politics and issues in interesting ways, some of which I feel are rather tongue in cheek.
Overall, it was a good read that might give some insights into challenges we may be facing in the not too distant future.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan. This book sounds fascinating in concept. I have not been 100% sure about this author’s work in the past, but this book came recommended by a good friend, so thought I’d give it a go. Here’s the blurb:

Britain has lost the Falklands war, Margaret Thatcher battles Tony Benn for power and Alan Turing achieves a breakthrough in artificial intelligence. In a world not quite like this one, two lovers will be tested beyond their understanding.
Machines Like Me occurs in an alternative 1980s London. Charlie, drifting through life and dodging full-time employment, is in love with Miranda, a bright student who lives with a terrible secret. When Charlie comes into money, he buys Adam, one of the first batch of synthetic humans. With Miranda’s assistance, he co-designs Adam’s personality. This near-perfect human is beautiful, strong and clever – a love triangle soon forms. These three beings will confront a profound moral dilemma. Ian McEwan’s subversive and entertaining new novel poses fundamental questions: what makes us human? Our outward deeds or our inner lives? Could a machine understand the human heart? This provocative and thrilling tale warns of the power to invent things beyond our control.

Down Among the Dead Men: A Year in the Life of a Mortuary Technician - by Michelle Williams

I always like to learn about other people’s lives, particularly when they do a job about which I have no knowledge. This book fully delivered in this respect. I did not really know anything about what goes on in a mortuary and now I do. The writing is not amazing, but it is certainly good enough; the book would have benefitted from a light edit. It is written from a very personal perspective, which I think suited the subject very well.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Down Among the Dead Men: A Year in the Life of a Mortuary Technician by Michelle Williams. I wanted some non-fiction and this has been sitting on my “shelf” for a long time, so I thought I’d give it a go. Here’s the blurb:

Michelle Williams is young and attractive, she has close family ties as well as a busy social life - but she is far from usual. She is a mortuary technician and her job involves dealing with those things in life that many people do not wish to experience directly.
Yet life in the mortuary is neither gruesome nor sad. Told with good humour and common sense, we are introduced to a host of characters - the pathologists, many of them eccentric, some downright mad; the undertakers, the hospital porters and the man from the coroner's office who sings to Michelle every morning. The incidents too ensure that no two days are ever the same. From the tragic to the hilarious they include:
The fitness fanatic who was run over as he did pressups in the road on a dark night; The decapitated motorcyclist; The guide dog who led his owner on to the railway tracks - and left him there; The forty stone man for whom an entire refrigerated lorry had to be hired because he wouldn't fit in the mortuary cooler.
Over the course of her first year Michelle has to deal with situations and emotions that few of us will ever experience, and does so while retaining a sense of humour and a sense of perspective.

The Second Sleep - by Robert Harris

I glanced at a few reviews of this book before starting. This is something that I do not usually do, as I do not want to read “spoilers”. However, the only thing that they did tell me was that this book is not what it seems. It is not a historical novel. I will say no more.
As always with this author, I enjoyed the quality of writing and attention to detail. The characters were quite strong, I felt, and the story had a continuous stream of happenings and revelations to keep me interested. There are aspects of the story that make you wonder about the world that we live in, but this is presented with a little spark of humour that works well.
Initially I was a little disappointed with the ending, though I was pleased to find it had one, as many books seem to just stop. I did something unusual: I re-read the last two chapters just to make sure I fully understood the nuances. I can confirm that a sequel is very unlikely. There is an aspect of the story where I would have liked a more definitive explanation, but I suspect that the author felt that the way it is makes it more thought provoking.

What I’m reading ...

I have started The Second Sleep by Robert Harris. When I heard that he had a new book and read some details, it was irresistible. Here's the blurb:

1468. A young priest, Christopher Fairfax, arrives in a remote Exmoor village to conduct the funeral of his predecessor. The land around is strewn with ancient artefacts – coins, fragments of glass, human bones – which the old parson used to collect. Did his obsession with the past lead to his death?

As Fairfax is drawn more deeply into the isolated community, everything he believes – about himself, his faith and the history of his world – is tested to destruction.

The Turning - by Tim Winton

The first thing that struck me, after reading just a few pages of this book, was the quality of the writing - beautifully descriptive without being flowery. I enjoy reading in a different English - in this case Australian - there are unfamiliar words and different nuances in the language usage.

I found the linking of the stories very interesting and it was this that kept my attention. I rather regret not taking notes so I could keep track of some of the recurring characters and events. I thought that the book might be described as a kind of literary cubism - showing things from multiple points of view.

I will certainly be keen to read more by this author. 

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Turning by Tim Winton. I was recommended this book by a friend, who was impressed by the quality of the writing. Although I’m not a fan of short stories most of the time - I like something to get my teeth into - the fact that these are linked piqued my interest. Here’s the blurb:

In these extraordinary tales about ordinary people from ordinary places, Tim Winton describes turnings of all kinds: second thoughts, changes of heart, nasty surprises, slow awakenings, abrupt transitions. The seventeen stories overlap to paint a convincing and cohesive picture of a world where people struggle against the terrible weight of their past and challenge the lives they have made for themselves.
Tim Winton is indisputably one of the finest storytellers working in the English language. Now he gives us seventeen exquisite overlapping tales of second thoughts and mid-life regret – extraordinary stories of ordinary people from ordinary places. Here are turnings of all kinds – changes of heart, nasty surprises, slow awakenings, sudden detours – where people struggle against the terrible weight of the past and challenge the lives they’ve made for themselves.

In Search of Nice Americans - by Geoff Steward

This book was an enjoyable, easy read. It made me smile a lot and laugh out loud from time to time. Whilst I would not want to follow in the author’s footsteps for the most part, there were two or three places which I thought I might like to visit. The book was an ideal holiday read. The promotion for the book suggests that it is in the same class as Bill Bryson. To me, I can see why they might be compared, but, as a long term fan, I have to say BB still has the edge.

What I'm reading ...

I have started In Search of Nice Americans by Geoff Steward. I wanted light, non-fiction for a change and something autobiographic would fit the bill. This book was “sold” to me on Facebook and the reviews were mostly good. Here’s the blurb:

Like most of us, Geoff Steward was rocked by 2016's litany of horrors. Unlike most of us, Geoff did something about it.
Turning his back on his day job as a lawyer - and the requirement to account for every six minutes of his time - Geoff set off across America in hot pursuit of bears, honky-tonk bars and, above all, nice Americans to restore his faith in the world.
Armed only with his blend of waspish wit and mischievous charm, Geoff roamed from New York to Alaska, meeting ordinary Americans such as Joe le Taxi, the former NYPD police officer who was one of the first on the scene at the Twin Towers; Pam and Bob, a paranoid psychiatrist and a failed actor who once saw the back of Meryl Streep's head; and Sheriff Duke of Calhoun County, who reintroduced Geoff to the long (and armed) arm of the law.
For anyone at a crossroads, contemplating a temporary or permanent career break, this hilarious travel romp offers a new hope.

The Current War - by Adam Cline

This book essentially delivered in terms of providing some further background to the film, which I found interesting. Some of the details conflict with what occurred in the film, but I am not going to be picky. I have two gripes. Firstly, the book is not particularly well written and the editing seems to be non-existent. Also, it did not answer what, for me, was a key technical question: Why was it more efficient to send AC over long distances compared with  DC? Was it simply the fact that voltage changes with AC are easy and harder with DC?

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Current War by Adam Cline. I have just seen this film and I was interested in some background information and this short book looked as if it might do the job. Here’s the blurb:

In the late 1880s and early 1890s, the introduction of electricity brought with it two competing systems of electric power transmission. A powerful individual backed each system.
On one side was Thomas Edison, the savvy inventor and businessman. On the other side was inventor and industrialist George Westinghouse.
The two of them got embroiled in a nasty confrontation as each of them fought to ensure his system would become the industry standard.
In this book, Author Adam Cline gives a fascinating account of a commercial and technological feud that involved a public debate over the safety electricity, an aggressive and deceitful propaganda campaign and the introduction of the electric chair. 

Consider Phlebas - by Iain M. Banks

It was interesting to read a sizable sci fi book again - and this one kept me going for a while. A key criterion of mine was met: there was no clear violation of the laws of physics. For me, sci fi has to be a vision of the future or another part of the Universe that I find credible. Although long, this book was well-paced and it kept me turning the pages - it certainly lived up to some people’s description of it being a “space opera”.

I guess that I have 2 criticisms of the book. First, I found the death toll rather wearing. Second, at the end of the book I had this “where do we go from here?” feeling. All the loose ends were tied up, which I would normally regard as a good thing. However, this is the first book of a series [there are 10 currently], so I expected it to be a “scene setter” for the subsequent books. Other than explaining more or less who/what the Culture is, it gave me little in the way of expectations for the other books.

I am wondering whether each book in the Culture series is essentially stand-alone and the Culture merely provides a consistent framework for the stories. Maybe I will find out sometime, as I think I will probably read more of the series in due course.

What I'm reading ...

I have started reading Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks. It was time for some fiction and I haven’t read any sci fi in a while and this book was recommended by a friend whose input I respect. Here’s the blurb:

The war raged across the galaxy. Billions had died, billions more were doomed. Moons, planets, the very stars themselves, faced destruction, cold-blooded, brutal, and worse, random. The Idirans fought for their Faith; the Culture for its moral right to exist. Principles were at stake. There could be no surrender.
Within the cosmic conflict, an individual crusade. Deep within a fabled labyrinth on a barren world, a Planet of the Dead proscribed to mortals, lay a fugitive Mind. Both the Culture and the Idirans sought it. It was the fate of Horza, the Changer, and his motley crew of unpredictable mercenaries, human and machine, to actually find it - and with it their own destruction.

The Salt Path - by Raynor Winn

This book entirely delivered on my expectations. It is very well written, with good descriptions of places and people, without too much flowery prose. It is in places funny, moving and informative. As it is a memoir, I have to assume that some interpretation and/or embellishment occurred, but that is to be expected.

I was left wondering what happened next. I know that, as of a few weeks back [at the Hay festival], Moth was still alive, but would like to know more. I will be looking out for further work by the author.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Salt Path by Raynor Winn. This book was recommended to me, then I saw a talk by the author at the Hay Festival and that made my mind up to read it. Here’s the blurb:

Just days after Raynor learns that Moth, her husband of 32 years, is terminally ill, their home is taken away and they lose their livelihood. With nothing left and little time, they make the brave and impulsive decision to walk the 630 miles of the sea-swept South West Coast Path, from Somerset to Dorset, via Devon and Cornwall.
Carrying only the essentials for survival on their backs, they live wild in the ancient, weathered landscape of cliffs, sea and sky. Yet through every step, every encounter and every test along the way, their walk becomes a remarkable journey.
The Salt Path is an honest and life-affirming true story of coming to terms with grief and the healing power of the natural world. Ultimately, it is a portrayal of home, and how it can be lost, rebuilt and rediscovered in the most unexpected ways.

Quantum: A Guide For The Perplexed - by Jim Al-Khalili

As expected, this book was a readable explanation of the subject at just about the right level. Unlike some scientists, the author seems quite comfortable with say that some stuff is currently unknown and may never be understood, even though he is mostly optimistic. This was a good follow on from the last book that I read on the topic. The only downside of the book, for me, is its age. I want to know what’s happened in the last 15 years. Guess I need another book ...

What I'm reading ...

I have started Quantum: A Guide For The Perplexed by Jim Al-Khalili. Although I normally try to bring variation into my reading, I thought that I was on a roll after the last book and would stick with the subject. This book was recommended by a friend, so it seemed the logical choice. Here’s the blurb:

Quantum mechanics underpins modern science and provides us with a blueprint for reality itself. And yet it has been said that if you're not shocked by it, you don't understand it. But is quantum physics really so unknowable? Is reality really so strange? And just how can cats be half-alive and half-dead at the same time?
Our journey into the quantum begins with nature's own conjuring trick, in which we discover that atoms -- contrary to the rules of everyday experience -- can exist in two locations at once. To understand this we travel back to the dawn of the twentieth century and witness the birth of quantum theory, which over the next one hundred years was to overthrow so many of our deeply held notions about the nature of our universe. Scientists and philosophers have been left grappling with its implications every since.

Quantum: Einstein, Bohr and the Great Debate About the Nature of Reality - by Manjit Kumar

I started reading this book hoping to learn a bit more about quantum theory. It met that objective. The text is very clearly written and well paced and there is very little mathematics to frighten the reader. I found it easy and compelling to read and there were two bonuses. First, there is a lot about the people - the scientists involved in the development of quantum theory - which I found fascinating. Second, the context to the story is well defined, which educated me on 20th Century European history. I would never have thought that a book on such a topic could be such a relaxing read.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Quantum: Einstein, Bohr and the Great Debate About the Nature of Reality by Manjit Kumar. I thought that is was time for some serious non-fiction and that this would fit the bill. Here’s the blurb:

For most people, quantum theory is a byword for mysterious, impenetrable science. And yet for many years it was equally baffling for scientists themselves. Manjit Kumar gives a dramatic and superbly-written history of this fundamental scientific revolution, and the divisive debate at its heart. For 60 years most physicists believed that quantum theory denied the very existence of reality itself. Yet Kumar shows how the golden age of physics ignited the greatest intellectual debate of the twentieth century. Quantum sets the science in the context of the great upheavals of the modern age. In 1925 the quantum pioneers nearly all hailed from upper-middle-class academic families; most were German; and their average age was 24. But it was their irrational, romantic spirit, formed in reaction to the mechanised slaughter of the First World War that inspired their will to test science to its limits. The essential read for anyone fascinated by this complex and thrilling story and by the band of young men at its heart.

Pontoon: A Lake Wobegon Novel - by Garrison Keillor

As expected, this was a pleasant, easy read. I love the quality of his writing, which always conjures up a great picture of life in LW.  A few favourite lines:
“You look like death on a biscuit.”
“… was 72, an age when a man is proud of being able to still put his clothes on standing up”
“Some people finish dinner and drive off in the wrong direction. Like Evelyn. Instead of south, she went Up.” [Evelyn had just died.]

What I'm reading ...

I have started Pontoon: A Lake Wobegon Novel by Garrison Keillor. I was in the US and wanted to line up some easy reading. Being in the States always makes me think of Garrison Keillor, The Prairie Home Companion and The News from Lake Wobegon, so this was an easy choice. Here’s the blurb:

In Lake Wobegon lives a good Lutheran lady who wishes for her ashes placed inside a bowling ball and dropped into the lake. Meanwhile, a wedding between a veterinary aromatherapist and her boyfriend Brent is set to take place aboard a pontoon boat. A delegation of renegade Lutheran pastors from Denmark has come to town, and there's Raoul of the cigars and tinted shades, come to visit his elderly lover. All is in readiness for the wedding - the French champagne, the flying Elvis, the giant duck decoys - and then something quite unexpected happens . . .

Words And Rules: The Ingredients of Language - by Steven Pinker

This is a serious book and not an easy read. There is lots of detail from an author who really knows his subject. Although there were long stretches of detailed discussion that I found hard, I just did a bit of speed-reading. Overall, the effort of getting through the book was well worth it. I learned a lot. Lots of questions were answered and there were new questions posed and answered too. I will never thing about language quite the same. To give an example: I went to the opticians to get new lenses in my glasses; I told someone that I was going there to get them “relensed”. I am sure that this word does not exist, but I could create it without any effort [thinking] and be quite sure that the listener would understand.

If you have an interest in language and how it works, this book is a must read.

What I’m reading ...

I have started Words And Rules: The Ingredients of Language by Steven Pinker. A friend read this and was looking for someone with whom to discuss it. It looked like just my kind of book, so I thought I’d give it a go. Here’s the blurb:

How does language work? How do children learn their mother tongue? Why do languages change over time, making Chaucer's English almost incomprehensible? Steven Pinker explains the profound mysteries of language by picking a deceptively simple single phenomenon and examining it from every angle. That phenomenon - the existence of regular and irregular verbs - connects an astonishing array of topics in the sciences and humanities: the history of languages; the illuminating errors of children as they begin to speak; the sources of the major themes in the history of Western philosophy; the latest techniques in identifying genes and imaging the living brain. Pinker makes sense of all of this with the help of a single, powerful idea: that language comprises a mental dictionary of memorized words and a mental grammar of creative rules.

Dead Like You - by Peter James.

As usual, this book fulfilled my expectations and and was a good read during a long flight and in down time thereafter. I did have some idea who the perpetrator of the crimes was before I got to the end, but, of course, I expected a twist and was not disappointed. As usual, it is very tempting to just forge on to the next book in the series, but I will resist.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Dead Like You by Peter James. I wanted a book that would be easy to read, but I could get my teeth into and this author has form.

Bring Up The Bodies - by Hilary Mantel

I started this book with some trepidation, as long historic novels are not really my thing. I was prepared to give it a go because many people have spoken highly of it. I read it for quite a while - 4 weeks perhaps - but only managed to get through about one third of the way through. Although the quality of the writing was very good - the author’s way with words is quite exceptional - I really could not go on. Life is rather too short. I identified a number of issues:

• this far through the book and nothing much has happened yet
• there are lots of unfamiliar words, most of which are not useful additions to my vocabulary [except possibly for Scrabble]; I was thankful for my Kindle’s easy access to a dictionary
• everything is written in the present tense, which I appreciate is not a unique style; I just wonder why
• I was often uncertain of whose actions were being described
• I did not feel I had a good picture of most of the characters, which added to my confusion when I forgot who the text was talking about at a particular point

All in all this was a shame, as it is quite an interesting period of history, but this book did not usefully contribute to my knowledge of it.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel. This is my next book club book. I am daunted. Here is the blurb:

The volatile Anne Boleyn is now Queen, her career seemingly entwined with that of Cromwell. The split from the Catholic Church has left England dangerously isolated, and Anne has failed to give the king an heir. And when the King begins to fall in love with self-effacing Jane Seymour, the ever-pragmatic Cromwell must negotiate within an increasingly perilous court to satisfy Henry, defend the nation and, above all, to secure his own rise in the world. Neither minister nor king will emerge unscathed from the bloody theatre of Anne’s final days.

Educated - by Tara Westover

A fascinating book that is a very good read. It depicts a world quite unknown to me. If it were fiction, I would probably say it was unrealistic and not plausible - but it is a factual account. Having said that, at times the author was doubting her own memory and sanity; this just served to make the story more intriguing. Overall, I was left rather shocked that such events could occur, but heartened that escape was possible.

My only reservation comes from my nosiness. I wanted to know what happened next. Did she ever see her parents again? Well, as it seems that they are still alive, that chapter cannot be written yet ...

What I'm reading ...

I have started reading Educated by Tara Westover. I thought that it would make an interesting contrast/comparison with my last book. Here’s the blurb:

Tara Westover and her family grew up preparing for the End of Days but, according to the government, she didn’t exist. She hadn’t been registered for a birth certificate. She had no school records because she’d never set foot in a classroom, and no medical records because her father didn’t believe in hospitals.

As she grew older, her father became more radical and her brother more violent. At sixteen, Tara knew she had to leave home. In doing so she discovered both the transformative power of education, and the price she had to pay for it.

The Handmaid's Tale - by Margaret Atwood

A great read - I can understand why it is considered a classic. The author consistently gives the reader enough information to understand what is happening, but withholds just enough to keep you wondering and turning the pages.

I found the story quite disturbing, because I found it totally credible. I can believe that, in a country where states mandate teaching creationism and totally ban abortion, things could get out of hand and the result would be the nightmarish world of this book.

I think I might try to find the TV adaptation now ...

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. This has been sitting around on my reading list for a while and I have a bit of “free reading” time, so I thought it was time to give it a go.  Here’s the blurb:

The Republic of Gilead offers Offred only one function: to breed. If she deviates, she will, like dissenters, be hanged at the wall or sent out to die slowly of radiation sickness. But even a repressive state cannot obliterate desire – neither Offred's nor that of the two men on which her future hangs.

Being Mortal - by Atul Gawande

I started this book with a little trepidation. Another medical book - mainly about aging and death. This was not going to be a bundle of laughs. However, the surprising thing about the book is that despite, but maybe because of, the grim topic, it is a very uplifting book.

The quality of writing is superb. His words flow easily and everything he has to say is couched in stories - real stories about real patients, fiends and relatives. Reading the book was, on a certain level, quite taxing. The nature of the content meant that I really wanted to read in modest chunks, with time between them to reflect and absorb. The reality was that I often found the book quite gripping and I did not want to put it down.

By the end of the book, I felt that I had a completely new understanding of what it is to be coming to the end of one’s life; it is all about choices and priorities. My eyes were opened to aspects of life that I had previously not wanted to even think about. I am very glad that I read the book and would recommend it to anyone who might work with older people or just want to ponder how their own future might pan out.

It is no exaggeration to say that this is one of the best books I have ever read. My inclination is to simply purchase the author’s other 3 books and plough on through them.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Being Mortal by Atul Gawande. This is my next book club book. Nice to have some non-fiction. Here’s the blurb:

For most of human history, death was a common, ever-present possibility. It didn't matter whether you were five or fifty - every day was a roll of the dice. But now, as medical advances push the boundaries of survival further each year, we have become increasingly detached from the reality of being mortal. So here is a book about the modern experience of mortality - about what it's like to get old and die, how medicine has changed this and how it hasn't, where our ideas about death have gone wrong. With his trademark mix of perceptiveness and sensitivity, Atul Gawande outlines a story that crosses the globe, as he examines his experiences as a surgeon and those of his patients and family, and learns to accept the limits of what he can do.

Never before has aging been such an important topic. The systems that we have put in place to manage our mortality are manifestly failing; but, as Gawande reveals, it doesn't have to be this way. The ultimate goal, after all, is not a good death, but a good life - all the way to the very end.

Published in partnership with the Wellcome Collection, a free visitor destination that explores the connections between medicine, life and art.

The Things We Learn When We're Dead - by Charlie Laidlaw

This is an intriguing book, if only because it is hard to categorise. Is it Sci Fi? Well, kind of, but not quite. For most of the time that I was reading the book, I was unable to discern whether the reader is being told about a real situation: a bunch of aliens on a giant spaceship have been messing with human matters for millennia. Or was Lorna simply having a dream as she was on the cusp between life and death.

It is quite detailed and meanders a bit, but I do not think too much. Eventually I spotted a clue to what the story was actually about: it is in the name of the aliens’ home planet. I think that it could have been concealed a little better, but, anyway, it is not obvious. Of course, I am not going to give the answer here!

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Things We Learn When We're Dead by Charlie Laidlaw. I have no idea what inspired me to look at and acquire this book, but it does look fascinating. Here’s the blurb:

On the way home from a dinner party, Lorna Love steps into the path of an oncoming car. When she wakes up she is in what appears to be a hospital – but a hospital in which her nurse looks like a young Sean Connery, she is served wine for supper, and everyone avoids her questions. 

It soon transpires that she is in Heaven, or on HVN, because HVN is a lost, dysfunctional spaceship, and God the aging hippy captain. She seems to be there by accident… or does God have a higher purpose after all?

Despite that, The Things We Learn When We’re Dead is neither sci-fi nor fantasy. It is a book about memory and how, if we could remember things slightly differently, would we also be changed?

The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah - by Benjamin Zephaniah

A good read. The main thing that I like about biographies is gaining insight into other people’s lives. The more different their background, the better, in some ways. I had a good feeling that Zephaniah did actually write this book - it has a genuineness to it that I enjoyed. I also learned a lot, because, even though he lived most of his life in the same country as me and over the same timescale, his world was different from mine. Having said that, there were familiar things, like popular music etc. and topical events, that kept it in context. I would now like to go to one of his performances ...

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah: The Autobiography. Time for a change from fiction. Here’s the blurb:

In the early 1980s when punks and Rastas were on the streets protesting about unemployment, homelessness and the National Front, Benjamin’s poetry could be heard at demonstrations, outside police stations and on the dance floor. His mission was to take poetry everywhere, and to popularise it by reaching people who didn’t read books. His poetry was political, musical, radical and relevant.
By the early 1990s, Benjamin had performed on every continent in the world (a feat which he achieved in only one year) and he hasn’t stopped performing and touring since. Nelson Mandela, after hearing Benjamin’s tribute to him while he was in prison, requested an introduction to the poet that grew into a lifelong relationship, inspiring Benjamin’s work with children in South Africa. Benjamin would also go on to be the first artist to record with The Wailers after the death of Bob Marley in a musical tribute to Nelson Mandela.
The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah is a truly extraordinary life story which celebrates the power of poetry and the importance of pushing boundaries with the arts. 

Ajax Penumbra: 1969 by Robin Sloan

This was an enjoyable “back story” to the last book. It is logical to read it afterwards, as some of the forward references would make no sense otherwise. I enjoyed the setting: 1969 is a time that I can just about remember and the story mostly takes place in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, which is an area that i know well. There are references to sci fi books that are familiar: Dune and Foundation. I was surprised that nobody mentioned the moon landing, which was rather big news at the time.

Once again, I wonder if i have learned anything. Was the land on the edge of the bay reclaimed in the way it is described?

What I'm reading ...

I have started reading Ajax Penumbra: 1969 by Robin Sloan. This is the [short] prequel to the previous book that I read. It seemed logical to forge ahead. Here’s the blurb:

San Francisco, 1969. The summer of drugs, music and a new age dawning. A young, earnest Ajax Penumbra has been given his first assignment as a Junior Acquisitions Officer - to find the single surviving copy of the Techne Tycheon, a mysterious volume that has brought and lost great fortune for anyone who has owned it. After a few weeks of rigorous hunting, Penumbra feels no closer to his goal than when he started. But late one night, after another day of dispiriting dead ends, he stumbles upon a 24-hour bookstore and the possibilities before him expand exponentially. With the help of his friend's homemade computer, an ancient map, a sunken ship and the vast shelves of the 24-hour bookstore, Ajax Penumbra might just find what he's seeking…

Mr Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore - by Robin Sloan

Most of my choice of reading is dictated by stuff I hear on the radio or driven by my book club. But sometimes I get a recommendation from a friend, which is always interesting, as it can say a lot about the friend; people’s taste in books can be quite an insight.

I really enjoyed this book. It is nicely paced and I got into it very quickly. Before long it was unputdownable. The story is complex, but not excessive. The characters are quite diverse, but well drawn. My only reservation is that, when I read a novel, I like to think that I might learn something. Without having a clear idea of the author’s integrity, I cannot be sure. In this case, my awareness of the programming language Ruby was raised, but did I learn anything about how Google actually operates?

In any case, my choice of what to read next was clear.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Mr Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan. This was recommended by a friend, who had stumbled across it randomly in a bookstore. I thought that it sounded intriguing. Here’s the blurb:

Recession has shuffled Clay Jannon out of his life as a San Francisco Web-design drone - and serendipity, coupled with sheer curiosity, has landed him a new job working the night shift at Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. But after just a few days, Clay begins to realize that this store is even more curious than the name suggests. There are only a few customers, but they come in repeatedly and never seem to actually buy anything, instead they simply borrow impossibly obscure volumes from strange corners of the store, all according to some elaborate, long-standing arrangement with the gnomic Mr. Penumbra. The store must be a front for something larger, Clay concludes, and soon he's embarked on a complex analysis of the customers' behaviour and roped his friends into helping to figure out just what's going on. But once they bring their findings to Mr. Penumbra, it turns out the secrets extend far outside the walls of the bookstore...

La Belle Sauvage - by Philip Pullman

My optimism with this book was well founded - I enjoyed it very much. I always have reservations about “fantasy” books - stories where the world is similar to ours, but not quite the same. However, Pullman is very skilful in this genre. The concept of the dæmon intrigues me. The author never explains it, but the place of these companion beings is gradually elucidated in the book.

The story has all the right features: It is well paced and has clearly drawn characters. As it progresses, there is the odd surprise.

I seem to recall that His Dark Materials was billed as children’s literature. I wonder about this book. Amazon seems to think “Teen and young adult”. There is some language and themes that are not very child friendly.

At the end of the book, I look forward to the publication of the next volume, which I will most likely buy at the introductory Kindle price - the equivalent to buying a newly-published hardback. In the meantime, should I have another read of His Dark Materials?